Draws are codified by various rules of chess including stalemate (when the player to move is not in check but has no legal move), threefold repetition (when the same position occurs three times with the same player to move), and the fifty-move rule (when the last fifty successive moves made by both players contain no …
How does chess repetition work?
The threefold repetition rule states that if a game reaches the same position three times, a draw can be claimed. A position is repeated if all pieces of the same kind and color are on identical squares, and all possible moves are the same. After the position repeats three times, a player can claim a draw.
What does threefold repetition of a position mean in chess?
The rules of chess state a threefold repetition of a position gives the player to move the option to claim a draw, no matter whether the threefold repetition already occurred yet, or is about to occur after declaring the intended move in conjunction with the draw claim.
When does a threefold repetition of a move occur?
Although a threefold repetition usually occurs after consecutive moves, there is no requirement that the moves be consecutive for a claim to be valid. The intermediate positions and moves do not matter – they can be the same or different.
Why are there threefold repetitions in a game?
The reasoning behind the rule is that if the position occurs three times, no real progress is being made and the game could hypothetically continue indefinitely. The game is not automatically drawn if a position occurs for the third time – one of the players, on their turn, must claim the draw with the arbiter.
When to make a claim in threefold repetition?
The claim must be made either before making the move which will produce the third repetition, or after the opponent has made a move producing a third repetition. By contrast, the fivefold repetition rule requires the arbiter to intervene and declare the game drawn if the same position occurs five times, and requires no claim by the players.
